Thursday, July 05, 2012

'Be careful what you say,' Palace tells China

MANILA, Philippines - Malacanang on Wednesday cautioned China about
accusing the Philippines of stirring up tensions in the South China Sea,
which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea.

“Xiao xin yi dian (Be a little careful about what you say)," Palace
spokesman Edwin Lacierda said as he denied Chinese claims President
Benigno Aquino III's statement that he may ask the United States to
deploy spy planes to help monitor its waters was a provocation.

A commentary in the People's Daily, known to be a mouthpiece of
China's Communist Party, said on Tuesday that the Philippines was
planning to stoke tensions at a meeting of Association of Southeast
Asian Nations foreign ministers in Cambodia this week.

"On the cusp of the ASEAN foreign ministers meetings, the Philippines
is sparing no effort to stir up the South China Sea issue through all
sorts of means, and we should be on guard against its plots," the
newspaper wrote.